Monday, March 28, 2011

World’s Longest Sea Bridge: The Qingdao Haiwan Bridge (China)

The world’s longest cross sea bridge has been revealed by China, proving once again how technology and economics are the strongest points of its economy. According to the Telegraph, the Qingdao Haiwan Bridge measures 26.4 miles (42.6 km) and links Qingdao city in China’s eastern Shandong province with the Huangdao district. Having an amazing architectural importance, the Qingdao Haiwan Bridge helps cut the distance between the two points by 30 km, a life saver in such a busy society like China’s, not to mention the touristic attraction. The 6 lane bridge is almost three miles longer than the previous record holder, the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway in Louisiana. The major infrastructure project consisted of four years of labour and US$ 8.6 billion spent. The money went into 450,000 tons of steel, capable of withstanding a magnitude 8.0 earthquake. Built in the Jiaozhou river delta, the freshly finished remarkable structure is supposed to hold the record for only a few years, because the officials already announced they started working on another bridge, that links southern province of Guangdong with Hong Kong and Macau.

Akashi Kaikyo Suspension Bridge

Akashi Kaikyo Bridge, also called “Pearl Bridge”, is located in Japan and considered as Japan’s finest engineering feat. Akashi Kaiko Bridge is the world’s longest suspension bridge in the world with a length of 3911 meters (12,831 ft). The Akashi Kaiko Bridge acts as a link between the city of Kobe and Iwaya by crossing the Akashi strait. The construction was finished in a span of 12 years which actually begin in the year 1986 and completed in the year 1998. Akashi Kaikyo Bridge plays an important role in providing three routes across the Inland sea.

Consisting of parallel, 24-mile-long spans, the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway is the world's longest overwater highway bridge and one of the oldest prestressed concrete bridges built in the U.S. Engineers loaded the bridge pieces on barges and towed them to construction points on the lake. The twin bridges are supported by more than 9,500 hollow-cylinder pilings approximately 55 inches in diameter; the largest piles ever driven at the time of the first span's construction in 1955. Since the second span opened to the public in 1969, a drawbridge has been added, along with a tracking device to detect approaching barges during foggy conditions.

Rio–Antirrio bridge - World's longest multi-span cable-stayed bridge

A new era in traffic and transport started throughout Western Greece, with the completion of the work of Rion- Antirrio Bridge.The Bridge Charilaos Trikoupis (It was named so to commemorate the first Greek politician who envisioned the project), at last it is a reality ,which changed dramatically the the geopolitical and economical data of the whole region, annihilating distances and creating new substance .In 2004 the ambitious vision that became reality.The Bridge of Rion-Antirrion is the landmark of Greece in the 21st century, and changed rapidly the daily routine of the residents.The Rion-Antirion is the longest cable-stayed bridge multiple exposures worldwide, by 2252 main deck measures. The foundations are located in water depth that reaches up to 65 meters. Both this and the diameter of the foundations is 90 meters world record for a bridge. However, according to the manufacturers, the best record this impressive Bridge that was built "without any serious accident, without shedding a single drop of blood”.Nevertheless, Bridge has so far awarded by the international scientific community with nine international awards.

Old Chain of Rocks Bridge -- the world's longest pedestrian and bicycle bridge

The Old Chain of Rocks Bridge was constructed in 1929 as part of Route 66 and was financed by tolls. In 1967, a new bridge carrying I-270 was constructed over the Mississippi and the old bridge was closed. It sat, abandoned and decaying for 31 years. During this time, the bridge was featured in the 1981 movie “Escape From New York” as the 69th Street Bridge. The bridge also developed a bad reputation for crimes and violence including a rape and murder while it sat unused. In 1999, the bridge was officially reopened for bicycle and pedestrian usage after renovations and security improvements. Funding for the reopening of this bridge came from Trailnet (http://www.trailnet.org/trails.html#ocorb) and the Confluence Greenway Project (http://www.confluencegreenway.org/). At one mile in length, the Old Chain of Rocks Bridge is the world’s longest pedestrian and bicycle bridge. This bridge is located just north of St. Louis and is worth a look.

Millau Viaduct -- Tallest in the world

Tallest in the world and taller than the Eiffel Tower, slung across the valley of the river Tarn, the Viaduct de Millau (Viaduc de Millau) is the chosen solution for taking the A75 motorway from Clermont-Ferraud south to Beziers. This is cheaper than the alternative of tunnelling through the hills flanking the river, and will shorten the journey by 100 km and by up to 4 hours in the holiday season, as well as removing much traffic pollution caused by continual traffic jams for local inhabitants in Millau. The Millau Viaduct is currently the longest cable-stayed bridge in the world. It has a steel deck, rather than the more usual concrete roadbed.The bridge is now sometimes being used for extreme sports such as base jumping or rapelling.

Sydney Harbour Bridge -- the widest bridge in the world

The Sydney Harbour Bridge may not be the longest steel-arch Bridge in the world, but it is the largest and widest. At 48.8 metres (151.3 feet) wide, the Guinness Book of Records lists it as the widest long span Bridge in the world and until 1967, it was Sydney’s tallest structure.The highest point of the arch is 134 metres (440 feet). The pylons are 89 metres (292 feet) high. The Bridge was the highest point in Sydney Australia until 1967.The longest span of the Bridge is 503 metres (1650 feet). The total length is 1.15km (3770 feet).It took over eight years to build the Bridge, between July 1923 and March 1932. Planning for the Bridge began as early as 1912.The Sydney Harbour Bridge is the fourth longest single-span steel arch bridge in the world, behind Bayonne Bridge in New York, The New River Gorge Bridge in West Virginia and the longest which is The Lupu Bridge in Shanghai. The Bridge is 49 metres (161 feet) wide, making it the widest single-span Bridge in the world. The weight of the steel arch is 39,000 tons. The girders are made from steel (79% imported from England and 21% from Australian sources). The pylons are made of concrete faced in granite, which was quarried near Moruya, 300km from Sydney. Around 6 million rivets and 52,800 tonnes of steelwork and 17,000 cubic metres of granite have gone into the construction of the Bridge.The approach spans were erected first, then work began on the main arch. Two half-arches were built out from each side of the Harbour. Steel members were transported on barges into the Harbour and hauled into position with creeper cranes mounted on the arches, which built the Bridge out before them as they inched forward.The two halves of the arch were joined on 19 August 1930, bringing a well needed smile to the face of depression-era Sydney. The road deck was then hung from the arch from the centre outwards and was in place within nine months.

Zavikon Island -- shortest international bridge in the world

Zavikon Island probably has the smallest international bridge in the world. It is only thirty-two feet long and connects a Canadian island and an American island. The boundary agreement in 1793 between the American and Canadian governments decided that no island would be split in two. Two-thirds of the islands are in Canadian territory, but the total area of the Canadian and American islands is roughly equal.Theoretically the second island is in US, but both are considered to be part of canada. Local guides and tour operators definitely want this to be known as “shortest international bridge”